The present invention relates to pressure measurements for an inflatable lumbar support and methods and systems for transforming the pressure measurements.
Lumbar supports having inflatable bladders provide a convenient mechanism for adjusting the position of the lumbar support by inflating and deflating the bladder. Inflatable lumbar supports generally include a pressure sensor on the bladder to track the inflation and deflation. However, while the relationship between bladder pressure and pressure sensor output voltage is linear (see FIG. 1), the relationship between bladder pressure and inflation/deflation time is not linear (see FIG. 2). Hence, the relationship between the lumbar travel time and pressure sensor voltage output is nonlinear. It would be useful to provide a user with an approximately linear display of lumbar travel distance, e.g. so that the user can more accurately adjust the lumbar support to their liking.